A group of healthcare workers in California have been dismissed after posting a TikTok video that appeared to mock patients by posing with bodily fluid stains left on examination tables.
The now-deleted video, shared over the weekend, showed employees at Sansum Clinic in Santa Barbara smiling and giving thumbs-up next to stains, with captions such as “Guess the substance” and “Are patients allowed to leave you guys gifts?” The final image showed a group huddled around a stain, with the text: “Make sure to leave your healthcare workers sweet gifts like these!”
Sutter Health, which owns Sansum Clinic, confirmed the employees had been fired, calling the behaviour “inappropriate and insensitive” and an “outright violation of our policies”. The health network stated that the person who shared the TikTok had not worked for the facility in two months.
The video sparked widespread outrage on social media, with users on Reddit describing it as “beyond unprofessional” and “unethical”. Some called for the workers’ licences to be revoked, saying being fired was not enough.
Sutter Health encouraged patients to discuss their healthcare experience via email, and noted that complaints about privacy or dignity violations could be filed with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
